25 receive genius grants

A sculptor who transforms straws, paper clips and Scotch tape into dazzling forms, an urban farmer who delivers healthful food to poor city dwellers and an astronomer who looks toward the edge of the universe are among the 25 recipients of the $500,000 "genius awards" to be announced today by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Candidates in every conceivable field are eligible.

The recipients, who must be citizens or residents of the United States, each gets $100,000 a year for five years, with no strings attached. The winners are singled out for their creativity and their potential for making important future contributions.

Dr. Regina Benjamin said the money will help rebuild her rural health clinic in Bayou La Batre, Ala., which serves 4,400 patients. It was rebuilt by volunteers after being destroyed by Katrina, only to burn down months later.

"The patients came by and they were crying," said Benjamin, 51, remembering one woman who handed her an envelope with a $7 donation to rebuild. The new clinic is about half built, she said.

"If she can find $7, I can figure out the rest," Benjamin said. "The patients I treat have their own disasters. Hopefully this grant will help them in some way. It will be as much theirs as it is mine."

Most winners are familiar primarily to experts in their own fields, although a few in the arts have reached larger audiences: For example, Alex Ross, 40, a music critic for The New Yorker and the author of a cultural history of 20th-century music, "The Rest Is Noise"; Tara Donovan, 38, who creates large installations out of everyday objects; and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 31, an award-winning Nigerian writer.

Miguel Zenon, 31, a saxophonist and composer whose combination of Afro-Caribbean and Latin American music is, in the foundation's words, "creating an entirely new jazz language for the 21st century." Jennifer Tipton, 71, a stage-lighting designer for dance, theater and opera; and Leila Josefowicz, 30, a violinist were also named.

Other winners in the arts include Walter Kitundu, 35, an instrument maker and Mary Jackson, 63, a sculptor.

As for the scientists, some are devoted to patient care: Diane Meier, 56, is a geriatrician who is improving treatment for critically ill patients; Wafaa El-Sadr, 58, is an infectious-disease specialist developing ways to treat AIDS and tuberculosis more effectively among the world's most disadvantaged populations; and Peter Pronovost, 43, is a critical-care physician who is creating new clinical practices to reduce the risk of fatal medical errors and infections in hospitals.

Biological researchers include Sally Temple, a neuroscientist; Susan Mango, a developmental biologist; and Rachel Wilson, an experimental neurobiologist. Kirsten Bomblies is an evolutionary plant geneticist.

Among the physicists are Marin Soljacic, whose specialty is optics; Alexei Kitaev, who explores quantum physics and quantum computing; and Andrea Ghez, an astrophysicist developing telescopes that could improve the understanding of black holes.

Adam Riess, also an astrophysicist, is one of the discoverers of dark energy.

John Ochsendorf is the engineer and architectural historian who uses old technologies that go back to the Incas to improve today's buildings. Will Allen is an urban farmer in Milwaukee, who founded the nonprofit group Growing Power.

Other winners include Stephen Houston, an anthropologist specializing in Maya culture; Nancy Siraisi, a historian of medicine focusing on the Renaissance; and David Montgomery, a Seattle geomorphologist who is studying the Earth's changing landscape.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.